Thursday, 8 May 2014

Why Us?

A few months ago my sister and I were sitting at our Mum's
table after Sunday dinner trying to work out what we could do to help spread the
message of Yes. We would canvass for sure, we could deliver leaflets for sure
but what about trying to engage people in the debate on another level. Maybe on an
entertaining and artistic level? We both love making art and crafts. How could
we combine the two? The idea of an art exhibition where all the art was
inspired by the idea of Scottish Independence could be great. But could it be
done?

The next Saturday I set up a web page and took to twitter to
test the waters. We just wanted to put a small indyref art show in Aberdeen,
our home town. What would folk think? Over the course of one day I had 25
artists from all over Scotland asking how they could contribute. By Sunday it
was over 40. This print of mine came to mind:

Those familiar with my original print will see

I've yessed it up...

Clearly the appetite was there and clearly this was not just
a local thing anymore. We had emails from as far away as Barcelona and Nova
Scotia. We had the artists. Now where could we show the art? Well I can't
reveal that yet, but we're showing that art and you'll find out where in early
June, but let's just say we're pretty sure that most Scots won't be a stone's
throw from Aye Inspired, in some shape or form.

We then realised we needed funding. Here's what we needed to
fund:

Petrol costs

Postage

Publicity material

Van hire

Van Insurance

Banners and signs

Venue hire

A premiere

Merchandise

An exhibition brochure

Presentation equipment like easels and stands

.....And more stuff we probably haven't even thought of yet.

People have been so generous already. We've 40% of our target and we
reckon we can get most of the above. But we're struggling to cover that van
lease to take our art to venues safely. And we've only 7 days left of our
indiegogo funding left. And to be honest we feel slightly embarrassed asking
because if you're for independence and have a few extra quid there are so many
amazing organisations you could give it to:

Women for Independence (I'm the Aberdeen Exec for that, so
yes please!)

Common Weal

Labour for Independence

Bella Caledonia

Yestival

National Collective

RIC

The YES campaign

The Scottish Green party

The SNP

Generation Yes

So why spare a portion of that for us? Hmm, because I think we're
trying to speak to folk who might not approach a Yes table, or want to engage
on a purely political level. We want to speak to folk about art and ideas and why
we're moved to create art that is inspired by what we want politically. Could a
curious person stop by a free art exhibition and have a conversation that might
make them think about voting yes, or at the very least start finding out more?

All revolutions have their art. There's a reason for that. It's effective and it hits parts of the brain that political conversation doesn't. We are already working together with the Yes campaigns, Labour for Indy and Women for Indy in Aberdeen and Shire who will be participating in our exhibitions, maybe the folk that come into see the free art might just end up taking a leaflet or Yes pin or two. Who knows?

Please help us reach the folk that might not take a leaflet but
might just come in and appreciate a meaningful piece of art.